Morning journal and courier., 1887-01-22
CHAmBRR OF COmmERCE.
Professor Brewer Discusses sc The
Comstock LOde'-The Bonanza OF
Nevada--Other Talks TO Follow.

Professor Brewer Discusses Sc The
Comstock Lode'-The Bonanza of
Nevada--Other Talks TO Follow.
The first of the series of talks arranged by
the Chamber of Commerce was given by
Professor w. II. Brewer upon '"The Com
stock Lode in Loomis' Temple of Music last
evening before large audience.
Mr.. E. S. Wheeler, in the absence OF Pres
ident James D. Dewell, presided and intro
duced the speaker and spoke regarding the
next lecture which will be by Prof Arthur
I. Hadley: subject: National Railway
legislation" Prof. Brewer spoke for over
an hour. The Comstoek lode produces the
most precious metal in the world. It is
located in Nevada, just this side of Califor-
MIA. The country where it Is located lies in
the great basin between California and Utah;
it is desert country originally inhabited by
the Digger Indis ms. Through this the over
land trade to California ran and it became
the custom to stop before this basin for rest,
and mining for gold and silver soon began
Gold was found quite early. For distance
of four hundred miles there is no pass lower
than the ST. Bernard of the Alps. It has
long been theory that when a country is
too poor to produce anything it must
hold the precious metals. One of the runs
down the side of the mountain was known as
Gold canyon. A Mormon train, one of the
first, found gold there and mining was car
ried on, beginning as early as 1949 or 80
The beginning of the history of the Comstock
lode dates at the winter of 185S-'59. James
Finney was the locator, not Comstock; he
stuck piece of paper in the crevice of the
rock locating it in that winter. Soon after
he, with three or four others, took up
claim, dividing it into claims of fifty feet
each. Before the 4th of July, 1859, several
e Al IL -. 4&1~1 o1r
a trader and an idle, shiftless fellow. The
placing of his name upon the lode was
fraud. Coming upon those mining there he
told them that this was his homestead claim
and in the lawsuits which came up after
this his name was attached to it.
From 1852 to 1867 much excitement prevailed
there, it was found to contain silver ore.
At this time great excitement prevailed
throughout the United States. The lode is
confined within three and one-haf miles.
The more prominent part extends for only
ten thousand feet and is only few hundred
feet in width. Two little towns were built
there, Goldtown and Old Virginia The
passes over the mountains were nearly eight
thousand feet high. By 1854 the roads were
greatly advanced, the place was lively and
prices high The toll for loaded mule was
twenty six dollars in gold. In 1861 the coun-
try was organized into territory, and was
made State in the week before Lincolns
government and police, an opera house in
which the actresses received coins instead of
bouquets.
The ore is gray rock The bullion is
mixture of gold and silver. Out of two hun
dred and forty millions of bullion there was
forty two and one-half per cent. of gold and
the rest of silver. The lawyers struck more
leads than the miners and before 1867 there
were begun two hundred and forty-fve law
suits by the mines, each one trying to obtain
possession of the others. Out of six thou
sand claims very few paid expenses. The
lead of this mine seven hundred feet
wide, in which the ore scattered most
capriciously in streaks along the line of the
lead. In 1872 bold and sagacious spectators
took control of the mine. In 1878 little was
struck and much was spent. In 1870 and
'76 over sixteen millions of dollars were taken
out in each year. Then stock went down.
The portion taken by these few men yielded
about three hundred and seventy five times
the amount that was put in. Then they had
to go deeper, there was great
expense in pumping. at depth of 3,10O
feet the water was II deg. in temperature.
The Sutro tunnel was constructed. The
mines still yielded little. The machinery
was taken out of the lower grades. All sorts
of tricks were played and stocks went up.
There is only one hope for the victims.
When Carney was at the head it was propos-
ed in legislature to make mining debts as
gaInollnS deoCs, Which, ny ta"' o9nnoU oo
collected. This mine mas paid one hundred
and sixteen millions in dividends. Its actu
al product has been over three hundred mil
lions of dollars, and it will probably yield
for years to come, though probably it will
never be pumped out. It is the
deepest mine in America and among the
deepest of the world. Of the early miners
Comstock bought Mormon wife for a horse,
a revolver and $50 in money. She ran away
and it cost him 500 to get her again. She
ran away again and he let the thing go. He
soon procured another and took to prospect
ing. In 1870 he blew out his brains in fit
of dependency. Professor Brewer told
number of anecdotes connected with the
early miners and gave the fate OF several.